255. Efficiency vs. Humanity

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Nov 11, 2025

Patrick and Cody delve into the clash between technological efficiency and human dignity in the workplace. They explore the dangers of AI displacing jobs and the need for a moral compass in innovation. The duo emphasizes the responsibility of leaders to prioritize humanity over profit, while also highlighting consumer choices that can impact this balance. They discuss the importance of work as a source of dignity and connection, questioning if society should rush headlong into progress at the expense of meaningful human interaction.

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INSIGHT

Innovation Needs A Moral True North

Innovation must serve the common good, not just efficiency or profit.
Patrick Lencioni warns AI may uniquely displace large swaths of work and harm society if unguided.

ADVICE

Pause Before Replacing People

Ask whether choices to replace people with machines are the right thing to do.
Do not pursue profit for profit's sake; balance profit with employment and societal contribution.

INSIGHT

Convenience Can Undermine Demand

Replacing workers erodes customer bases as unemployed people can no longer afford services.
Lencioni calls rampant automation a short-term convenience that risks long-term collapse of demand.

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What happens when innovation outpaces our moral compass?

In episode 255 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody wrestle with the tension between technological innovation and human dignity in the workplace. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, they ask whether efficiency has become more important than humanity. This episode invites leaders and consumers alike to seek a moral “true north”—one that values people over profit and connection over convenience.

Topics explored in this episode:

(02:57) Innovation Without a True North

* Concern that the rise of AI could fundamentally displace human work.

* Innovation must be guided by ethics and human-centered purpose, not just economic efficiency.

(07:15) The Role of Leaders

* The need for leaders to assess whether their choices serve humanity.

(10:10) The Role of Consumers

* Consumers voting with their wallets and resisting convenience that devalues human connection.

(14:27) The Convenience Crisis

* How people increasingly prioritize ease over meaning.

(18:45) Dignity, Work, and the Future

* The deeper value of work beyond income—as a source of dignity, growth, and relationship.

This episode of At The Table with Patrick Lencioni is brought to you by The Table Group: https://www.tablegroup.com. We teach leaders how to make work more effective and less dysfunctional. We also help their employees be more fulfilled and less miserable.

At The Table is a podcast that lives at the connection between work life, leadership, organizational health, and culture. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4hJKKSL), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6NWAZzkzl4ljxX7S2xkHvu), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

Follow Pat Lencioni on https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth, http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLencioniOfficial, and https://x.com/patricklencioni.

Be sure to check out our other podcast, The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4iNz6Yn), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-YouTube).

Let us know your feedback via podcast@tablegroup.com.

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.